Patagonia’s Classic Duffel Bag Can Fit Nearly Anything for Travel, It’s No Wonder It’s Named After a Black Hole
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The Black Hole Duffel has been a mainstay in Patagonia’s catalog for nearly 20 years, and its popularity hasn’t slowed down. You’ve likely seen one at the airport or a ski lodge, or maybe at a campsite or stacked in the back of a road-tripping car. Available in four sizes from 40 to 100 liters, it’s become a heritage piece for the brand, recognized for its one-compartment build, contrasting color zippers, daisy chains, laminated exterior shell, and iconic large-print logo. And since its debut, we’ve seen approximations and imitations (ahem, Baboon to the Moon and Backcountry) but for me, none of them triumph over this go-to travel duffel.
But what makes the bag so great? To find out why Patagonia’s Black Hole duffel bag has remained a legend for so long, we got our hands on a 70-liter version of months ahead of its Spring 2023 release. We tried it out by packing it, carrying it, and tossing it around for a few weeks—now, it’s one of our favorites. Here’s why we love it.
Black Hole 70L Duffel Bag
backcountry.com
$199.00
What Is Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel Bag?
Introduced in 2004, the Black Hole duffel is Patagonia’s flagship luggage piece. It’s available in four sizes: 40 (the only one considered airline and train carry-on friendly), 55, 70, and 100 liters. The bag is made of weather-resistant ripstop polyester, which gives it a techie look and a lot of durability, and it comes in various colors. It’s frequently recommended by product and gear review sites, topping lists as one of the best duffel bags according to Wirecutter, Outdoor GearLab, Travel + Leisure, and, of course, Popular Mechanics.
The Spring 2023 version of the Black Hole duffel gives minor updates to the bag’s original design and makeup. The TPU shell is now made with recycled materials. The interior stuff pocket is also bigger than the last model for easier repacking into itself. As always, Patagonia has added a few new colors to the update as well.
A Deceivingly Tough Exterior Shell
I got the 70-liter Black Hole duffel in Vessel Blue, which makes the bag look deceivingly vibrant and squishy. It’s actually tough as nails.
The bag’s shell is TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane, and this is the reason why the Black Hole Duffel is so recognizable. TPU gives the bag a sheen close to that of an Ikea tote bag; similarly, the material helps maintain the duffel’s shape and integrity. However, for its newest line of Black Hole duffels, Patagonia opted for recycled TPU instead of virgin, giving its exterior a less glossy look. That could be a dealbreaker for those after aesthetics, but reusing old materials is always a plus in my book.
The duffel is made from 100 percent recycled polyester ripstop, and the TPU-film laminate adds a protective weather-, oil-, grease-, and abrasion-resistant layer to the synthetic fabric. As if ripstop isn’t enough, the polyester is also 900-denier (denier is a measurement of thread strength), meaning its threads are more robust than your average seatbelt.
The inside liner is 200-denier, 100 percent recycled polyester, further adding to the bag’s tough-as-nails makeup. You can overstuff this with a few heavy items without worrying about a rip or tear, and it’ll ply and tug without stress. Additionally, its handles are reinforced to carry heavy loads, so if you wanted to do something a little chaotic and pack, say, two bowling balls into your duffel, it’d be just fine.
Packing weight aside, the bag is rugged enough for throwing, tossing, and kicking (if you want) to the side. It can eat scrapes without tearing and hold up against sharp objects brushing against it. I’ve packed up and then dropped it outside of my car plenty of times and it’s held its integrity, without a dent or scratch on the bottom.
It’s Lightweight and Packs Down
Storing unused suitcases and luggage is one of the biggest annoyances of having a travel bug—doubly so if you’re an apartment-dweller. The Black Hole duffel may take up space when it’s open and ready for packing, but it can also pack into itself when it’s not being used. You fold it, pack it into its massive mesh pocket, and then tuck it away in a closer or hang it up on a hook. The claimed weight of the 70-liter pack is an incredibly light 3 pounds and 2.8 ounces, so you can store it vertically without breaking your hangers.
A Massive Main Compartment
The Black Hole duffel has a zippered, U-shaped lid that features an interior mesh pocket split into two zippered compartments (it’s a single zippered mesh pocket on the 40- and 55-liter duffels) on the inside, plus a small zipped pocket on the outside. The exterior side pocket sits between two daisy chains, which you can use to dangle additional sacks or hiking boots via carabiner or rope.
The 70-liter model is large enough to pack a lot of things—enough for a weeklong trip (and maybe more with the right packing cubes) or a small family’s gear for a weekend trip. I’ve stuffed this to the brim with six pairs of pants, a packing cube with a pair of size 11.5 shoes, a bag full of toiletries, two hats, four books, a Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 camera, six T-shirts, and a bulky fleece pullover hoodie—and I still had room to pack more. If I wanted to, I could add a lightweight sleeping bag, outdoor gear like mugs and lights, and a keychain to the daisy chain using carabiners to carry even more.
Easy Carry
This duffel supports your carry style, whether you prefer to sling your bag over the shoulder, on the back, or in a one-handed grip. It has two large, removable padded straps to wear it as a backpack, or take one off for a shoulder strap. Both straps can be removed for a fisted grip or to put the bag away.
For the most part, carrying this bag isn’t arduous. The backpack straps are incredibly comfortable over the shoulders and easily adjust to shift weight off your back. Wearing it, all of the innards slide to the bottom of the duffel and stack a bit, but if you can fill it to capacity, this shouldn’t be an issue (more on that later).
Drawbacks
The Black Hole duffel is designed to give you the most space, and unlimited opportunities to customize your packed goods however you’d like. You could use it as a bag for your photo equipment, a weekender, or your closet for a months-long backpacking trip. But that freedom can feel unrewarding and frustrating if you don’t have enough things to pack or thrive on keeping things organized.
This thing is a massive bucket, so it’s tough keeping items in place due to its minimal pockets and lack of internal straps. While plenty of user reviews say they use their Black Hole duffel to carry fishing gear or bulky camp goods, those packing for a weeklong getaway may find it hard to organize a pile of clothing, a few pairs of shoes and other hard goods, all while keeping fragile electronics safe.
Packing cubes are helpful for tidy stuffing, which is vital as the bag feels wonky and wobbly when you don’t pack it to the brim. Patagonia sells its own packing cubes that fit well inside a Black Hole duffel to help alleviate the problem, but, of course, it’ll cost you. But to be fair, this isn’t an issue unique to the Black Hole duffel—if you really need structure, consider another type of bag, like a spacious pack or a rolling suitcase.
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel, Reviewed
Its packing freedom, variety of ways to wear, and near-indestructible shell makes the Black Hole duffel a worthy purchase, and its cool style just adds to the package. A solid travel companion, it’s tough enough for the great outdoors and roomy enough for a week-long vacation and more. Though carrying it can feel lopsided if your bag isn’t filled to capacity, packing cubes better its performance, or you can opt for a smaller size to suit shorter trips. It’s hard to find a more versatile bag—we look forward to the next 20 years of the Black Hole duffel line.
Shop Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel Bags
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